The present invention relates to peritoneal dialysis apparatus comprising at least one dialyzer that is divided by a membrane into first and second chambers, of which the first chamber is connected by a first circuit with a catheter and the second chamber is connected via a second circuit with a device for furnishing dialyzing liquid and in each circuit there is at least one pump.
In peritoneal dialysis the supplied peritoneal irrigating or dialyzing liquid has to be completely sterile, because otherwise there will be the danger of peritonitis. Such sterility problems are not normally to be encountered in hemodialysis since the blood has its own defense system that normally is able to take care of any intruding microbes. However there is no such defense system within the peritoneal cavity so that peritoneal dialysis has to take place under completely sterile conditions.